R&D Manager

Kevin's Natural Foods•Stockton, CA

About The Position

The R&D Manager at Kevin’s Natural Foods plays a critical role in driving the innovation and development of our clean-label product portfolio. This role is responsible for leading the Product Development team, overseeing the commercialization process from concept to production, and ensuring new and optimized products meet our high-quality, nutritious, and flavorful standards. This position combines technical expertise in food science with strategic leadership, project management, and cross-functional collaboration to support Kevin’s mission: empowering even the busiest people to eat clean without sacrificing flavor.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Nutrition, or Culinary School certification; advanced degree a plus.
Minimum 5 years of experience in food product development in a manufacturing environment, with at least 2 years in a leadership role.
Deep knowledge of ingredient functionality, flavor development, sensory evaluation, and clean-label product development.
Strong understanding of food science principles, GMP, HACCP, food safety, and regulatory compliance.
Proven experience managing teams, projects, and cross-functional initiatives in a fast paced environment.
Strong analytical, organizational, and project management skills.
Proficiency with nutritional software, quality systems, spreadsheets, and lab documentation.

Nice To Haves

Experience with paleo/keto or specialized dietary products is a strong plus.

Responsibilities

Lead, mentor, and develop an R&D product development team, fostering a culture of innovation, curiosity, and accountability.
Oversee all aspects of new product development from ideation, recipe creation, pilot production, scale-up, and commercialization.
Drive project prioritization, resource allocation, and timelines to ensure efficient and successful product launches.
Lead recipe formulation, costing, ingredient sourcing, and process optimization while maintaining compliance with SQF, USDA, and other certifications.
Collaborate with nutritionists, QA/QC, and culinary teams to ensure products meet nutritional, sensory, and safety standards.
Evaluate and implement emerging food trends, new ingredients, and innovative processing techniques.
Work cross-functionally to set the strategic vision for product innovation, aligning new concepts with company goals, consumer trends, and competitive insights.
Partner with Marketing, Sales, and Brand teams to support product launches, packaging, development, and marketing campaigns.
Assist with taste panels, consumer testing, and sensory evaluations to ensure products exceed expectations.
Serve as the primary R&D liaison for label approvals (GFCO/Paleo/NGPV/USDA) and regulatory compliance.
Establish and maintain robust R&D processes, documentation standards, and best practices.
Troubleshoot production issues, monitor consistency and quality, and optimize manufacturing processes.
Maintain detailed records in recipe/formula systems, ensuring accuracy and reproducibility.
Other duties as assigned to support the growth and evolution of Kevin’s Natural Foods.
All other duties as assigned or necessary.